Improvement in purifying alcohol and spirits



din-ital swat fiat-rat otjiflitr.

CHARLES OHAUNGY PARSONS, OF NEW YORK, N. .Y.

Letters Patent No. 104,343, dated June 14, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN PURIIYING- ALCOHOL AND SPIRITS.

'lhe Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and. making part ofthe same.

To whom it may concern:

eifect the purification of alcohol or other spirits; and

It consists in a process of purifying alcohol or spirits by vaporizingthe same, and passing the vapors,

previous to condensation, through, or otherwise subjectin g them to theaction of melted parafline, by which means the purification of thealcoholic or jspirituous vapor is quickly and readily effected.

v To carry out my invention, I employ a suitable closed vessel orapparatus filled with melted parafiine, through which the alcohol orspirit, in the form of vapor, and before condensation, is caused topass, by

- being introduced into the lowerpart of the vessel through a suitablepipe or conduit, and forced,-by its own pressure, up-and through theparaffine.

The par'aifine may be placed above an alcoholic column, or it' may be byitself in a tight vessel, or in a series of such vessels, through whichthe alcohol will bubble up.

In practice I prefer to introduce the melted paraffine by a trap-pipe ontop'of a mass of pumice-stone, or similar substance, broken or otherwisereduced into vsmall pieces, through the interstices of which thevaporwill pass in a finely-dividedstate, and I thus give it a prolongedexposure to the action of the paraffine.

Freshparaffine may be introduced, as required, from time to time throughthe trap-pipe, the spent paraffine and the condensed alcohol being drawnoff from the vessel by a faucet suitably arranged in the bottom.

The alcohol or other spirit may, by these means, be subjected more orless to the action of the parafiine, and may be passed through one ormore vessels contaiuing the latter material, the alcohol being in theform of vapor, and the parafline in a melted state until the close ofthe operation:- v

The vapors, having passed through the parafiino, are condensed by theusual means, and the spent parafliue may he recovered by lettingit andthe water drawn from the still ,with which it is mixed, remain quiet fora. little time, when the pa'rafline will rise to the top, and may thenbe drawn 0r skimmed olf, or otherwise separated from the water, and itcan then be cleaned or purified for future use by passing superheatedsteam through it.

I have described. the, manner in which I prefer to carry my inventioninto effect, but it is obvious that vmany forms of apparatus may beemployed to effect the same result without departing from the principleof my invention. 7 I

I do not, therefore, limit myself to the details herein described;nor'do I confine myself to'what is termed par-affine, for there areother oily substances which have no taste or smell, and yet haveasuliiciently high boiling-point to prevent their being vaporized by thealcohol, and exert the same purifying action, such, for instance, asMerrills'. neutral oil, so called; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is--- The methodof purifying alcohol and other spirits by vaporizing the same, andpassing the vapors through, or otherwise subjecting them to the actionof melted pal-affine, or the equivalent thereof, previous tocondensation, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES GHAUNGY PARSONS. Witnesses:

A. POLLOK, M. BAILEY.

